Teacher

The Role: As a Folk Farm Teacher for Drylands Agroecology Research (DAR), this role will be responsible for supporting the growth of young children (ages 2-6), including tracking development, creating seasonal, age appropriate curriculum, and maintaining health, safety and emotional regulation.

This role will also consist of caring for and improving the school zones with safety, healthy risk, developmentally appropriate and engaging activities, and sensory experiences accessible to all abilities. This role is responsible for actively attending meetings with agenda notes, maintaining communication between teachers, DAR employees, and families. This includes sending weekly curriculum updates and monthly newsletters to families, supporting growth conversations, tracking progress throughout the semesters, and facilitating parent teacher conferences. This role reports to the Director of Folk Farm and works closely with Folk Farm families, co-teachers, and the land stewards of Elk Run Farm.​ REQUIREMENTS

• CPR Certification

• Ability to lift 50lbs

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience in related field

• Early Childhood Education training/certification and 3-5 years experience

• Certification in homesteading valued topic or 3 years experience

• Ability to relate and communicate in a healthy way to children and families

• Farm related experience (or exposure) preferred

• Outdoor Education skills and experience preferred Job Responsibilities and Expectations: RESPONSIBILITIES Instructional Planning Creating, submitting and posting monthly/weekly lesson plans (using team’s preferred method) that are reflective, intentional, and that accurately and comprehensively illustrate the focus and direction of your explorations as a class.
  
  Lesson plans are due by the Thursday prior to the week of the plan. Attaining materials for teaching prior to lesson. Creating and sending weekly parent communications that proactively communicate curriculum so learning can be supported at home with your teaching team Creating and submitting monthly class newsletters for distribution to parents, enrichment Educators, and the co-Directors.
  
  Monthly Class Newsletters should be sent out to parents no later than the 1st of the month. If the first of the month falls on a weekend, newsletters should be submitted the first Monday. Newsletters must be sent to the director(s) in advance of being shared with families, during the week prior.
  
  Newsletters will not be reviewed on weekends. Classroom Organization and Management Attendance at all School Socials. Effective utilization of paid planning/administrative hours to maintain overall organization and maintenance of classroom duties, lesson planning, and team/class communications as needed.
  
  Maintaining tidy and engaging education spaces with the help of your team. Ensuring the set up of school thoroughly prepares learning spaces and and take down of school fully takes care of materials. Caring for all Folk Farm School materials and DAR properties, protecting materials from damage whenever possible.
  
  Assist building outdoor physical infrastructure (like shade structures) for the school. Implementation of Curriculum Strategies and Techniques Full presence and engagement in the learning environment. Effective implementation of classroom curriculum that is reflective, intentional, well developed, and that respectfully realizes and builds upon child interests while achieving developmentally and philosophically appropriate learning objectives.
  
  Implementation of a curriculum that provides context in which children’s curiosity can be expressed purposefully, and that enables them to experience the joy of self-motivated learning. Implementation of a curriculum that is balanced in its approach and use of project work, single concepts, themes, and directed inquiry. Implementation of a curriculum that provides opportunities for children to grow their knowledge, skills, and dispositions by asking questions, conducting in-depth investigations, and making decisions about their activities and learning.
  
  Maintaining the Farm school essence and Forest school influence. Reading, understanding, following, improving, and innovating the Folk Farm practices and principles as illustrated in the Folk Farm Teacher Handbook. Student Documentation and Assessment Individual student logs will be managed by the teaching team for the purpose of documentation and assessment for Parent-Educator Conferences.
  
  These documentation forms may include anecdotal notes, developmental observations, and any other information that is reflective of the child’s learning experience at Folk Farm. Fall and Spring Parent Educator conferences for all students in class as divided up by co-Educators - timely preparation of all conference related sign-up sheets and forms, as well as meeting with families. Maintaining tidy and engaging education spaces with the help of your team.
  
  Administration Continued training and sharing new information with the teaching team. Communication with the Director on a weekly basis as well as attending all meetings. Creation of email templates whenever applicable in family communications.
  
  Answering all emails during the work week within a 48 hours window. Supporting the growth of Folk Farm School by taking initiative with administrative time after school hours to plan, document, and engage with the needs of the school. Using surplus administrative time to help develop Folk Farm School standard operating procedures and systems.